Don’t mess with a classic: Why the original pound cake recipe still works

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Sometimes, we have to trust that those that went before us got it right, and with the classic pound cake recipe, they did.
The recipe is:

1 pound flour

1 pound sugar

1 pound butter, not margarine, not shortening

1 pound eggs (This works out to about 9)

1 tsp. Flavoring (vanilla extract or other extract)

1 tsp. salt


This recipe, however, can turn out dramatically different based on one thing…technique.  Technique in baking is not something that we think about much anymore since most of the baked products that we eat are either purchased ready made, or a mix. Technique, however, is 9/10 of how a product turns out when making things from scratch. The way in which we combine ingredients makes a huge difference in what the final product looks, tastes, and even smells like. This is why we can all follow our Great Grandmother’s recipe, but it just never tastes quite like it should. It’s not a secret ingredient, it's how the ingredients are put together. 


For this video, I show at each step what the texture should be and a bad example so that you can see how the technique changes the final product. This recipe uses the creaming technique. A lot of recipes use this technique and many say the word “cream” within them. For example, “cream together butter and sugar.” The creaming method refers to beating together solid fat (butter, shortening, and/or margarine) and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This is not just until it comes together. It takes a solid few minutes to achieve this. In the classic pound cake, the beating of the sugar and fat together creates air bubbles that are the only way to create volume within the cake. There is no baking powder or soda to leaven it. (Leavening agents make things rise by creating bubbles.) The sugar cuts into the fat making bubbles as it goes. By the time you finish whipping the two together, it looks and feels almost like whipped cream and the sugar has almost dissolved so that you can’t feel the grittiness. I use a paddle attachment that has a scraper attached to it so that I don’t have to scrape down as often. I can’t tell you how much time it has saved me. Link is below. I purchased the kitchenaid brand one so that I didn’t cause issues with my mixer. I have had mine for 8 years and it still is working wonderfully. 

Paddle with scraper 

Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer


After your butter and sugar are light and fluffy, you add your eggs at one time. You can crack them into the mixer, but I have found its easier to crack them into a pitcher and just plop them in.  They will slide in easily. Wait for each egg to fully incorporate before adding another. After your eggs are all in, add the flavoring of your choice and salt. This is not part of the 1 pound ingredients but does help with the taste. It may seem strange to add salt to a sweet recipe, but salt enhances all flavors so it does help. Don’t add the salt if you use salted butter, however. I prefer unsalted butter so that I can control how much salt is in the final product. I love to use vanilla bean paste and even if I am using lemon or another flavor, I still add vanilla. The vanilla bean paste has little specks of vanilla in the final product and its so pretty!

Vanilla Bean Paste

Large bottle of Vanilla Bean Paste

To prepare your pan, (I use a bundt) brush the pan with butter and then dust it with flour. I sometimes spray again with cooking spray after that as a little insurance policy if I am using my older pan that is not nonstick. 


When you bake the pound cake, it takes about one hour. Check the internal temperature rather than using a toothpick to test it. If you bake a pound cake like this until a toothpick comes out clean, it will be as dry as the Bonneville salt flats. By testing that the temperature is 200° F, you ensure the water in the recipe, (in the eggs and butter) has not all evaporated out because it has not reached boiling point. 


Let it cool completely before cutting so that any carryover cooking has finished and you don’t smoosh your cake. Smooshed cake is still good, but it’s not as pretty. To make a glaze mix a couple tbsp. of milk or citrus juice, vanilla, and 4 cups or powdered sugar until its smooth and pour over the cake. It ends up being beautiful!

If you would like to make one of your own, watch the video! It will walk you through every step!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR1Tb5x0HTo

This is the camera Equipment that I use for my YouTube videos. 

Erin Mercs1 Comment